The present disclosure relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Miscanthus originated as a polycross of Miscanthus sinensis with other Miscanthus species and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name ‘MBS 0006’. ‘MBS 0006’ represents a new cultivar of Miscanthus species, a perennial grass which is grown for biomass production, landscape use, ornamental value, and cold tolerance.
Seeds of an open-pollinated Miscanthus sinensis plant in a natural Miscanthus habitat at Shirakawa-Gun, Honshu, Japan were planted and screened in a cultivated selection field at Klein-Wanzleben, Germany. The selection field was utilized for seed increase of superior genotypes derived from the original plant selection. Additional recurrent selection in the newly derived, finite population was utilized to derive additional selection pressure for line improvement.
Miscanthus sinensis is self incompatible. Presumably, the Miscanthus sinensis plant in the natural habitat in Japan became pollinated by other Miscanthus plants, hence it could be regarded as a polycross of M. sinensis plants. Therefore, its continued lineage/pedigree was derived from seed collected on this plant selection. The open pollinated seed from the population plant selection was a bulk collection of half-sib lines (genotypes) from that mother plant, and were planted for advanced recurrent selection in an organized Miscanthus sinensis breeding nursery at Klein Wanzleben, Germany. The isolated poly-cross population (‘114SW’) at Klein Wanzleben produced seed on various high performing biomass types. Seed collected from this population was named ‘95s0043’ and was again planted at Klein Wanzlchlen for recurrent selection and advancement of improved biomass clonal lines. From this population an individual plant was selected for vigorous growth, high biomass and cold tolerance potential. The accession was named ‘99m0029’, a.k.a. ‘MBS 0006’, ‘99m0006’, or ‘Flamingo Rest’.
The plant was asexually reproduced from sterile rhizome buds in Klein-Wanzleben, Germany by the inventor. The shoot material was propagated on rooting media and the rooted plantlets were planted into pots in the greenhouse. The plants were planted into the field after one cold period. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations. ‘MBS 0006’ was transferred to US via APHIS quarantine inspection regulations and was established for performance trials in the US. ‘MBS 0006’ performance trials include biomass yield and trait characteristic observations. ‘MBS 0006’ has been evaluated in mutli-entry, replicated performance trials. These trials ranged across three diverse US locations targeted as US biomass growing regions of the country.